HOME LEARNING GUIDELINES
Home learning will only be assigned as a formative assessment and never contribute to a student’s final achievement score. Like all formative assessments, home learning must be completed on time and to the student’s fullest capabilities. When preparatory activities or skills practice are assigned for completion at home, students should take advantage of the learning opportunity and come to class ready to engage, as this will ultimately affect their overall learning and summative assessment scores.
Home learning will not be given as add-on work, or for the sake of it, as the most meaningful learning takes place in the classroom under the guidance of the teacher.
Home learning guidelines are dependent upon stages of student development.
Middle School (grades 6-8): Generally, no home learning will be given to students beyond the completion of work that was started during class. On occasion, work needs to be completed to support a lesson beforehand, such as reading a short text, chapter of a novel, or watching a video or tutorial. One of the keys to success in education, and in life, is literacy. We encourage students in the afterschool hours to read for enjoyment each day when possible.
Upper MYP (grades 9 & 10): Preparation for the rigors and demands of grades 11 and 12 is important is introduce students to the increasing workload, as well as the academic and ATL skills necessary for high achievement. In these grades, home learning is still reserved for the completion of classwork, and preparation in order to support a lesson; however, this may take longer than in grades 6-8 owing to the increased rigor of the coursework.
Diploma Programme (grades 11 & 12): The DP is a rigorous academic program consisting of college-level equivalent courses. A significant portion of DP work must be independently done outside of school hours. Teachers take into consideration the workload that students face overall, including CAS (creativity, activity, service) commitments, Extended Essay, and the DP Assessment Component Calendar when assigning out-of-class work. In addition, teachers of DP courses will consider and vary the amount of home learning assigned for a standard level (SL) course versus a higher level (HL) course.
Approximate time students spend on homework daily
Grade 6-8: 20-40 Minutes (5 - 10 minutes from each subject taught that day)
Grade 9-10: 60 - 80 Minutes (15 - 20 minutes from each subject taught that day)
Grade 11/12: Varies due to the rigorous nature of upper-level coursework, particularly DP courses, but should not typically exceed 180 minutes per day.
Teachers will specifically teach academic skills, such as organization and time management, that contribute to successful independent learning. These skills are defined through the IB’s Approaches to Learning (ATLs.)